Vucic: World is very dangerous, we should lie low

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in New York late on Tuesday that the world is in a dangerous and complicated situation today.

Vucic, who is attending this year’s UN General Assembly, added that at the UN headquarters, “many harsh words” could be heard in that context – and that, as a small country, “we better stay under every radar.”

Vucic spoke with Serbian journalists at the UN headquarters after the address of US President Donald Trump, who focused on those countries that he considers the greatest security challenge “for the world community,” especially in North Korea – which, according to the Serbian president, met with a very divided reception and reactions.

Asked by Tanjug how he sees the current situation in the world, in the context of assessments that these issues will be dominant in the debate at the General Assembly, Vucic noted that there are certain parallels with the situation before the First World War and some other historical periods and occasions.

“I think the world is in a very dangerous situation today. Many harsh words could be heard today. It remains to be seen what representatives of Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and China and other countries will say,” he said.

Vucic pointed out that “the situation in the world is very complicated, while it would be better for us, as a numerically and territorially small country, to be quiet and under of every radar, and protect our country and the future of our children.”

“It it our job to do everything to never be on the list of the countries that were today being sent to hell by the American president, to pursue a smart policy, to preserve our country and people and, if necessary, and it is, it is better for me as the president not to show either my own or our pride in every place, to preserve our country, while protecting the interests of Serbia and our citizens,” said the Serbian president.

He said that he “carefully listened” to Trump’s speech, and also spoke about it with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, with whom he had a bilateral meeting at the UN headquarters, “as well as with representatives of Seychelles, who sit in the building the world organization next to us, and very are important to us, not only because of the relationship in UNESCO.”

“I am president of a small country and I cannot say everything I think about it, but I can say that we will analyze every word of President Trump. One could see a deep, deep division over his speech in the UN General Assembly hall,” Vucic said.

“Any other comment I might make, I’m not sure would be in our interest,” he said.

Vucic said that he heard “several good messages today, but also a few surprising and difficult for him.”

“We will analyze seriously, we will work on Trump’s speech for days and weeks, as well as in the speeches of some others, so that we can find the right conclusions for the conduct of Serbia’s politics in the coming period. Those 45 minutes of the speech we will be analyzing for the next 45 days in order to learn how to behave in future and what is best for our country,” he concluded.